I love, love, love Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment. Shovel Knight proper is one of my favorite games of the last five years, and Specter of Torment is an expansion worthy of the name. Sure, Shovel Knight set the bar extremely (impossibly?) high for retro-inspired 2D platformers, but Specter of Torment stands out as something special in its own right. Whereas Plague Knight was difficult to control with a nuanced style that I had a hard time wrapping my head around in his Plague of Shadows expansion, Specter Knight feels much more inline with what I expect from a Shovel Knight game. That's not to say he doesn't have a style all his own, mind you. Specter Knight, already one of the coolest Knights in the Order of No Quarter's pantheon, is even more rad in Specter of Torment. His slick movement, fast-paced attacks, and air-dash heavy gameplay are a ton of fun to get into and try to master. Add in some excellent level design, challenging platforming, and an outstanding soundtrack -- all elements we've come to expect from this franchise -- and you've got a bonafide DLC home run in Specter of Torment. If you are at all a fan of Shovel Knight, you owe it to yourself to play this game. It is spectacular. If you're a fan of challenging 2D platformers, you should probably play this one too. If you've never played Shovel Knight, what the hell is wrong with you?! Go pick up Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove immediately and play through the entire Shovel Knight saga from the beginning. I had high hopes for Specter of Torment heading into this play session, and the game has met or exceeded everyone of them so far. I can't wait to play through the rest of the game and see what else Yacht Club Games has in store for us! If you've yet to check out Shovel Knight: Specter of Tormentfor yourself, take a look at the video below and see what it's all about!

If you have played Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment, let us know what you think about it in the comments below, and be sure to watch the now Tuesday Night Indie Spotlight live, every Tuesday at 10pm EST on our YouTube channel!

Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment is available now on PS4, PS3, PlayStation Vita, PC, Wii U, 3DS, and Nintendo Switch! The Xbox version will be available soon. Specter of Torment is a free expansion for those who own the original version of the game, or who recently purchased Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove.